Spring Hill water customers question big jump in bills

Water customers in Spring Hill are confused and upset after their utility bills skyrocketed in just the past few weeks.

One customer says her water usage jumped seven-fold, and the city claims there isn't a leak or anything wrong with the system.

"Everybody is getting the same answer from the city: 'OK, we'll have someone come out, check your meter, check for a leak.' They're getting the same response: 'We found no leak,'" said customer Jamie Craig.

Craig says from August to September, her usage jumped from just over 6,000 gallons to more than 45,000 gallons.

"When I opened it up, and it was $450, that sent up a flag for me," Craig said.

She posted a message on a Facebook group to see if anyone else had the similar issues.

"And my phone was blowing up with people commenting, saying this same exact thing has happened," Craig said.

City officials say they've sent technicians out to the houses to check the meters.

"We've had a few of late that have called to see if their meter was running properly, and we've done several re-checks," said Spring Hill City Administrator Victor Lay.

Officials said out of the 43 complaints in the last month, only nine actually had leaks.

"It could be a seeping toilet, could be a dripping faucet. It could be a leak underground somewhere," Lay said.

While there have been computer glitches in the past, the city says that shouldn't be the case now. Irrigation systems, though, can play a major factor in a high bill.

"These meters are very accurate up to 10 million gallons, up to 20 years. Not to say that they can't fail, but we look to see if there are any other anomalies before we can offer credit," Lay said.

"I think they just need to dig into it further and see why hundreds of people are having issues with it," Craig said.

City officials say they take every claim seriously and they check meters frequently. They say if you have a problem with your recent bills, your best first step is to call the city office.

Luke Collins sits at the UCHRA Board meeting on Feb. 20, 2018. The UCHRA Board voted to place Collins on administrative leave with pay at the meeting. He was terminated at a meeting held on May 9, 2018. (WSMV)

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